Friday, August 16

Rice Chess Club tournament: Duras defeats Tenenwurzel; Czech now alone in 2nd place

Oldrich Duras of Prague, recording his fourth result in as many days, yesterday defeated Edward Tenenwurzel in a game postponed from the second round of the Rice Chess Club Summer Masters' Tournament. The Czech Master, whose late arrival to the tourney necessitated the rescheduling of several games, has now assumed sole possession of second place in the event with a 10-2 score, behind only José R. Capablanca of Cuba, who long ago captured top honors with a perfect 13-0 mark. Duras, who leads Roy T. Black and Abraham Kupchik by one point, can assure himself of a runner-up finish by drawing or winning his adjourned game vs. Harold M. Phillips, a contest that will be completed today before the tournament's thirteenth and final round.

The score of the game between Duras and Tenenwurzel is given below. The Czech, one of the world's strongest players, outmaneuvered his opponent in a Queen's Gambit Declined, undermining the position of Tenenwurzel's apparently well-posted Knight on c3 and winning a pawn at the 31st move. The struggle came to an abrupt end four moves later when Tenenwurzel blundered in the attempt to disentangle his pieces, leaving a full Rook to be taken.

Current standings:

13 points: Capablanca (13)

10 points: Duras (12)
9 points: Black (12), Kupchik (13)

8 points: Marder (12), Chajes (12)

6 1/2 points: Tenenwurzel (13)

6 points: Adair (12)
5 1/2 points: Bernstein (12)

3 1/2 points: Beynon (12), Grommer (12)

3 points: Phillips (11)

Withdrawn: Stapfer, Beihoff

The number in parentheses following a player's surname indicates the number of games he has played to date, including two forfeit victories over Stapfer and Beihoff. The adjourned game Phillips-Duras is not included in the above table.